Shabbat: A Jewish Day

Overview

In this lesson, students learn what Shabbat is and explore how Jewish people show it through rest, family time, and worship. They relate new information to their own experiences of routines and special times together.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• WALT describe what Shabbat is for Jewish people
• WALT identify ways Jewish people keep Shabbat (rest, rituals, family, prayer)
• WALT explain why Shabbat matters to believers using simple reasons and examples
• WALT recognise that religions include values and responsibilities for living

Success criteria

Students can:

• I can say that Shabbat is a weekly day of rest for Jewish people
• I can name at least two things people do to mark Shabbat
• I can explain, in my own words, why Shabbat is important
• I can connect Shabbat to a similar idea in my own life (a special day or routine)

Curriculum links

• RE and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS): good practice in supporting learning that is relevant to pupils’ needs
• RE for this age group: developing own values and attitudes, recognising rights and responsibilities in light of learning about religions and beliefs
• Curriculum planning in RE: apply good planning principles to ensure clear progression and appropriate learning activities

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook (objects + quick talk). Teacher shows a candle (LED-safe), a small challah-shaped picture, and a weekly calendar; students turn-and-talk: “What makes a day feel special or different?”
2. 5–15 min · Introduce Shabbat. Teacher explains that Shabbat is the Jewish weekly festival/day of rest, beginning Friday evening and ending Saturday evening; students listen and then point to “Friday / Saturday” on the class calendar.
3. 15–25 min · Explore key practices (carousel). Teacher divides class into 4 stations with short prompts and pictures; students rotate every 2–3 minutes and record answers on a simple worksheet:

• Station A: Rest and stopping work (picture cues)
• Station B: Family time together (shared meal)
• Station C: Light and blessing (candles/reading)
• Station D: Synagogue/worship or prayer (simple images)

4. 25–33 min · Whole-class sense-making. Teacher gathers groups and asks: “Which part of Shabbat shows caring for others? Which shows respect for God?” Students share one idea each, and teacher writes it into a class “Why Shabbat matters” chart using sentence stems.
5. 33–40 min · Values link (rights/responsibilities). Teacher prompts: “If you have a day for rest, what should you do and what should you avoid?” Students complete a short paired discussion: one responsibility (what to do) and one value (why it matters). Teacher emphasises respect, kindness, and belonging.
6. 40–45 min · Exit ticket. Students complete a one-sentence exit ticket: “Shabbat is important because…” and draw one symbol from the lesson (candle, calendar, family meal, synagogue/prayer).

Resources

• Class calendar showing Friday and Saturday
• LED tea-lights/candles and a simple candle picture pack (no real flame)
• Printed station cards with icons (rest, family, candles/blessing, worship)
• 4 station posters for the classroom walls
• Student worksheet (Shabbat practice recording sheet)
• Sentence stems sheet (e.g., “Shabbat is…”, “Jewish people…”, “It matters because…”)
• Exit ticket slips and crayons/colouring pencils

Assessment

• Teacher listens during turn-and-talk and carousel station feedback, checking students can use accurate words (Shabbat, rest, family, candles, prayer)
• Worksheet check: students correctly match at least two practices to Shabbat
• Exit ticket: assess understanding of “why it matters” using simple reasoning

Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters and a word bank (Shabbat, rest, Friday, family, candles, prayer, synagogue); allow students to point to pictures instead of writing full sentences
• Support for SEN: Reduce recording to “circle” or “match” options; give one practice per station to identify
• Extension: Ask “How would Shabbat feel different from other days?” and invite students to add a third practice or give an extra reason
• EAL: Use visual prompts consistently; allow responses in talk first, then provide structured sentence frames for final writing
• Behaviour/engagement: Clearly announce station times and assign roles (reader/recorder/timekeeper) to keep the carousel organised